


Folie à Deux

by artmitagehux



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Kylux - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-03 02:37:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14559018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artmitagehux/pseuds/artmitagehux
Summary: General Hux finds out he’s force-sensitive after throwing the newly appointed Supreme Leader into a wall.Shit happens.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> I only write this story when I have trouble sleeping/on the bus, so I’m sorry for any factual or language structure issues! Enjoy!

General Armitage Hux wasn't having a good day. In fact, he couldn't remember having a worse one. The day of the destruction of Starkiller Base definitely came close, but he had faith that all would work out. Now, he wasn't so sure.

Ren had captured the scavenger girl, brought her before Snoke, then foolishly let her escape. There was something that felt off to Hux about the whole situation, but he wasn't about to question the new Supreme Leader. Not yet.

Speaking of, now that Ren was the Supreme Leader...

He didn't finish that thought. Kylo was standing not 10 metres away and was frowning at something. He knew of the force user's tendency to pry into other's minds.

Just another reason why he hated...

Hux bit down on his lip harshly and winced as the healing wound split open again, filling his mouth with the sharp taste of metal. He had to control himself.

He directed his thoughts to the control panel nearest to him, and stole a quick glance at the slouching figure in the corner. Ren seemed oblivious to his surroundings, not even caring when a rather foolish officer brushed by him.

Hux let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. His hand drifted absent-mindedly to his collar.

"Sir?"A voice came a little from his left.

He turned and saw one of the junior officers standing there awkwardly, holding a data pad out to him. "The damage report you asked for on the Supremacy."

"Excellent," He said curtly. The officer nodded and all but scrambled back to his station; it had become common intuition to minimise interaction with the General when he was in a foul mood.

Hux had sensed this attitude coming off from the surrounding officers, and only felt a new surge of irritation flood him. His very own crew, treated him the same way they treated that bloody force user.

He caught himself once more, and cursed under his breath.

_You kriffing idiot, where's your sense of self-preservation?_

He forced his attention on the report he was holding in his hand. Red, critical numbers jumped out at him from the screen. He found himself thinking, almost at once, of his father's time.

Back in the days of Brendol Hux, the mere idea of the mighty First Order being low on funds was laughable. Now, it seemed as though that could become a reality, if they didn't get rid of the loathsome Resistance soon.

Their most recent battle would've been considered a victory, if they had managed to wipe their existence from the galaxy. But unfortunately for them, the remainder of the Resistance they hadn't destroyed fled, to Snoke knew where, on the piece of junk they called a ship.

This defeat, not 6 hours ago, was still fresh in everyone's minds, but perhaps in no one's more than the General himself.

With a sigh, Hux stepped out of the ex-Resistance base they were temporarily using as a station. He watched as the remaining troopers and officers struggled to scavenge the remains of the Supremacy, once Snoke's ship and the First Order's pride and joy.

By some miracle—the Force perhaps, thought Hux wryly—they had managed to power up the ship's engines and used its remaining fuel to haul the charred carcass into Crait's atmosphere.

Repairs were no longer possible, according to the report that was clenched in his hand. In addition to the lost of their biggest star destroyer, the Finalizer and many others had been either completely wiped out or destroyed.

The entirety of the First Order would now be stranded on the salt planet for an indefinite amount of time.

"General?" Another voice, more feminine in nature this time, came from behind.

He turned and recognised Captain Phasma's second-in-command, Vice-Captain Atika.

The Vice-Captain had the look of a woman who had seen more violence than any person her age should have, but only came out stronger because of it. She wore her dark hair up and her eyes, albeit shadowed with sleepless nights, remained alert. She didn't don a chrome suit of armour like the Captain once did, opting instead for a light grey uniform that set her apart from the rest.

"Yes, Vice-Captain?" he asked, quickly arranging his features into one of cool indifference. He wasn't about to show any sign of weakness, not now, when his crew was looking to him for leadership more than ever before.

"We searched the Absolution. We only found a few trooper cadets, aged ten to twelve, still alive. What should we do with them, sir?"

Hux didn't like the way the Vice-Captain's eyes shone as the question passed her lips, nor did he appreciate the way her tone implied execution.

"The First Order needs children," He whispered.

Memories came rushing back to him, and suddenly he was a boy again, staring not at the cold eyes of Atika but of Brendol Hux's. It was a line the man was fond of repeating, planted from the ideals of Admiral Gallius Rax.

It had driven the beliefs of the First Order when it was first formed from the ruins of the Empire, and it would continue to do so now.

"Sir?" Atika prompted. Hux cleared his throat. It was the actions of a weak man to think of the past.

"Take me to see them."

If the Vice-Captain was surprised by this request, she didn't show it.

"Right this way, Sir."

 

The children, not more than twenty, were standing closely together behind the wreckage of the Supremacy. They stood promptly at attention upon their arrival, but Hux could see the fear in their eyes. Almost tasted it in the air.

Upon identifying their leader, an olive-skinned boy with dark curls of hair, he moved closer. The boy stepped backwards instinctively.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you," he said quietly, reaching out a reassuring hand to put on the boy's shoulder. It alarmed him that his hand could close rather small for a boy of twelve. "What is your designation?"

"GX-1018, Sir," The boy mumbled.

Atika, who was standing beside Hux, made a motion to correct GX's tone, but was stopped with a look.

"I understand that you all were training when the impact struck?" The boy nodded silently. Hux felt something rise in his throat involuntarily, and he swallowed it down. Blinked quickly.

Perhaps he was tired—after all, so much had happened that day. Perhaps it was because he saw himself, to some degree, in these children. But there was no denying that he felt something in him, a feeling he'd kept locked behind bars: compassion.

"Well, GX-1018, I think you and your squad have been very strong today. I want you all to go have some proper rest and be prepared for tomorrow, is that understood?"

The boy raised his head. He didn't meet the General's eyes, his gaze fixated instead on the blood-red ground. He nodded again. "Thank you, Sir." 

Hux straightened up, forcing himself to think about anything but his days on Arkanis. He turned back to Atika. The Vice-Captain, her expression normally of stone, fought to conceal her surprise.

"Bring them into the base. Find a place for them to rest and see that they get sufficient food," Hux told her. He strode off in the direction of the Finalizer before she could reply.

 

In the midst of everything that had happened today, Hux had forgotten about his ginger tabby, Millicent. He'd seen her last in his quarters back on the Finalizer, enjoying a nap. He had placed a stormtrooper—what was his designation again?—in charge of taking care of her.

Thankfully, it hadn't been one of the star destroyers that had been completely wiped out. The ship had taken a lot of damage from the blasted Resistance cruiser, but it had managed to land in one piece. However, there was no telling what might have happened to Millicent.

The thought of his beloved cat being anything but perfectly safe and sound, made the blood drain from his face. Hux quickened his steps, kicking up clouds of red and white, as he struggled to reach the Finalizer as fast as fast as he could, while also attempting to hold on to his dignity.

The ship came into sight and Hux hurried forward, stepping unceremoniously through a gaping hole in its wall. He recognised the dark hallway he was in. It was one of the West wing corridors, which meant that he was not far from his destination.

No one was in sight now, and the silence seemed almost eerie for a ship that was normally bustling with life. Hux sped up, turning a corner and stopping short in front of his room. He recognised it from the cracked sign that bore his name on the floor, a result of the crash.

He slammed open the door in a blind panic and it crashed deafeningly against the frame, sending echoes spiralling down the dark hallway.

His room appeared rather unscathed, save for a lamp that had tilted over and a sofa that bore fresh claw marks. But there was no cat in sight.

"Millie?" Hux croaked. He crossed the room, searching every corner with his gaze. If something had happened, Hux couldn't bear to think of what, he would never forgive himself.

He took a cautious step forward when suddenly what seemed to be an angry ginger cloud leapt into his arms. Violent nails dug into his chest and he stumbled backwards from the sheer force.

"Millie!" he gasped, tears forming in his eyes, a mixture of both pain and relief. The ginger tabby snarled at him, expressing her anger at his betrayal.

"I know, I'm so sorry."

Hux drew the cat closer to him and breathed in her familiar scent.

Millicent appeared unhurt, perhaps only in her feelings. But she relented, as Hux began to smooth her fur down the way he did in the early mornings, before he left for his duties.

Hux whispered his thanks to the sky as he held the tabby close to him. This was one side the General showed to no one, not even Captain Phasma when she was alive. Through the giddy relief he was feeling, he wondered how the Supreme Leader would react if he saw him as vulnerable as he was now.

Unfortunately for him, life was fond of clichés.

"General?" A mocking voice asked. Hux spun around and saw none other than the Supreme Leader himself, leaning against the doorframe with a barely concealed expression of glee.

Before now, he never knew it was possible to want to hurt someone as much as he did Ren at the moment.

The way he leaned against the wall with relaxed ease drove the General crazy. In fact, everything about him did. His stupid hair. His stupid lightsaber. His stupid command of the Force.

Hux scowled and felt his cheeks flush, the way they did whenever he was feeling particularly angry or embarrassed.

"Supreme Leader," he said, the words toxic in his mouth.

"You would abandon your crew to look for your cat?" Kylo asked.

Hux let Millicent jump out of his arms and laid them to rest at his sides, in an attempt to look dignified. She wrapped herself around her owner's legs protectively and peered at Kylo through large emerald eyes.

"I don't have to explain my actions," Hux sniffed.

"Oh, but you do," Kylo answered, taking his weight off the door frame and stepping closer. "I'm your Supreme Leader, after all."

Hux was unable to tell if he was doing this to rub his new position in his face, or get a rise out of him. Whatever it was, he was not about to give him the satisfaction of either.

As Kylo drew ever closer, Hux couldn’t help noticing his features. Like everyone in the First Order, his eyes bore the characteristics of a lack of sleep—and frankly, he looked like shit.

If the Supreme Leader had heard him, he made no reference to it.

“What can I do for you, Supreme Leader?” Hux fought to keep the scorn out of his voice.

“Ah, yes,” Kylo said. “General, I require your assistance in a matter of great importance.”

He blinked. What important task could they have now, other than tracking the Resistance down?

“Of course, how can I be of assistance?”

“I would like you,” The Supreme Leader paused, allowing himself a self-satisfied smirk.

“I would like you to oversee cleanups for all of our battlecruisers.”

What? Hux couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Him, the bloody _General of the First Order,_ overseeing cleanups? The mere request was below him. He could think of a dozen officers whose job description included cleanups, and yet Ren had to choose him.

“I—“ Hux spluttered. “Supreme Leader, if I may—“

“Are supervising cleanups below you, General?” Kylo interrupted.

 _Yes!_ He thought furiously. The man knew. He was making a mockery out of him—Hux should’ve seen it coming.

He felt something rise in him. Hatred, burning hatred, unlike anything Hux had felt before. Its effect made him dizzy.

The General clenched his fists in an attempt to steady himself. He wasn’t sure if he could live with the shame of collapsing in front of Ren.

And then suddenly, before either one could react, Kylo was back where he started, his body colliding noisily with the door frame. It seemed as though an invisible entity had thrown him back.

His eyes were darting wildly, and his already disheveled hair fell messily over his face.

Through the haze of red, Hux wondered vaguely if the man was stupid enough to throw himself back with the Force.

He then took notice of his right hand. It was stretched out in front of him, fingers flared. How curious—he didn’t remember moving.

“...Hux?” Kylo said quietly.

That was when it hit him.


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your patience and all the kind words on the previous chapter! here’s chapter 2!

 

For a moment, Hux and Kylo stood frozen, both seeing the other in a different light.

 

The Supreme Leader didn't look angry. There was a strange expression on his face; he looked like a man whose dog had just died. His broad lip trembled.

  
Hux thought that was unfair.

  
He was the one who'd just discovered he had object floating powers, didn't he?

  
_Snoke help me if this man starts crying,_ Hux thought.

  
His temples were throbbing with the beginning of a migraine. He felt the anger he had just moments before drain out from his fingertips, to be replaced with a weighted fatigue.

  
This, combined with a sense of foreboding, convinced Hux he didn't have to be here any longer.

  
Scooping Millicent back into his arms, he straightened his hat and stepped boldly past the Supreme Leader.

  
The General's heels clicked smartly on the once-impeccably polished floor. It pained him to cross the now dust-covered ground, but there was no helping it. He waited until the light shining out of his quarters vanished from sight, before he broke into a run.

  
Millicent let out a yowl of protest. Her claws once again dug into his chest as she struggled to hold on.

  
As if Hux was going to let her go.

  
His mind was racing.

  
_What the kriff happened back there?_

  
Well, the answer to that was simple. He threw the Supreme Leader into a wall. Without touching him.

  
The more important question, though, was this: How did he do it?

  
He was at a loss for that one. It was impossible, he couldn't be— _no_.

  
Hux had always been a sensible man.

  
He tolerated the existence of the force only because he worked alongside a force user. He’d seen what he could do.

  
The ship's interior blurred by Hux. It then occurred to him that he was unconsciously heading towards the direction of the bridge. It was a familiar path, but different this time.

  
All was quiet. Control panels were off. No one was discussing updates in the corridors. The quiet footfalls of the patrolling stormtroopers no longer echoed down the hallway, only leaving his loud steps in place.

  
It was lonely, it was odd, and it filled the General with dread.

  
Energy finally spent, he slowed to a stop, chest heaving in an attempt to catch his breath. Millicent mewed in complaint and leaped out of his arms, fur properly matted.

  
The bridge doors were in sight. He moved slowly towards it, legs now sore as the result of a lack of exercise.

  
He knew what he'd see: the destruction of a vision. That didn't stop him from pushing the entry button. The doors hissed and slid open smoothly.

  
The bridge had taken most of the Finalizer’s damage. Glaring lights from the base filtered almost serenely through a savage crack in the glass, lighting up the extent of the damage. A large hole replaced the control pit, filling the ground with red and white residues of salt.

  
Hux stepped in, seeing the bridge with brand new eyes.

  
Like the rest of the ship, the place the General once commanded from stood, in dead silence.

  
Evidently, the collision had ripped half the bridge away into the deep depths of space.

  
He wondered, with a sudden deep ache in his chest that had nothing to do with the run, if any of his officers had survived the impact.

  
He saw them last days ago, before he left to board the Supremacy.

  
He'd left Captain Peavey in charge. Hux was aware of the Captain's lack of respect for him, but the man's years of experience made him a capable leader and was therefore an asset.

  
He stepped forward and noticed a singed piece from an officer's uniform lying on the ground. He followed the material up and found it belonged to one of his bridge crew.

  
The officer lay broken, the horror reflected moments before his demise still shadowed in unseeing eyes.

  
Hux recoiled and collided painfully with a control panel. It wasn't death's work that unnerved him. He'd seen plenty of it, became desensitised to it, from his years at Arkanis Academy.

  
He remembered this officer. He'd once tripped over a sentry droid patrolling the corridors and broke his data pad, sending the bridge into a wave of mocking laughter.

  
Hux had stared disapprovingly at the man on the ground, who was sweeping up pieces of glass with his bare hands.

  
That was months and months ago, before Starkiller Base, before Ren, before the Resistance was a problem.

  
A small nudge brought Hux back. He looked down and saw Millicent weaving herself between his calves, her feline face peering up at the man. She let out a meek meow.

  
Of course: the cat needed to eat. That was all they had to concern themselves with, wasn’t it?

  
Millicent let out another meow, more impatient this time. He concerned himself with the business of knowing every single one of her sounds, and knew exactly what she was trying to tell him.

  
"You're right, Millie," He sighed, pinching his nose bridge. The headache was ebbing away now. "Time to go."

  
Hux had some things to sort out, and it wouldn't be here.

  
But first, some food was in order.

 

 

Back at the base, the Supreme Leader was pacing. His back was aching deeply from being thrown into the door frame, but not as much as his pride was.

Kylo was already having a bad enough day without finding out that Hux, the rabid cur, was force sensitive.

  
Out of everyone in the whole galaxy, it had to be him. Kylo suspected it was the Force’s way of paying back what was due to him. Get rid of Snoke, and another force user would show up to take his place. It was almost cliché.

  
Perhaps he only kept it hidden before because of Snoke, and the position he held so dear to his heart.

  
Now that he was gone, Hux was free to remove the final rival that stood between him and the power to rule the whole galaxy.

  
If the cur thought that getting rid of him would be as easy as it was his weak father, he would have another thing coming.

  
Before this new revelation, Kylo had a plan in mind. Despite Rey’s clear refusal to join him, he would search the galaxy to seek her out, and convince her once more to leave the Resistance.

  
In turn, he would leave the First Order and they would find a way to a better future, together.

  
Now, he could see that plan disintegrating in front of his very own eyes.

  
Previously, he didn’t have any qualms about leaving the First Order in Hux’s leather-gloved hands, but now he could see that that was not possible.

  
First of all, the maniac’s first move would be to hunt both of them down.

  
He couldn’t allow that to happen to Rey: not when he’d promised her that they’d leave their pasts behind.

  
Kylo stopped pacing and leaned against the rough wall. He watched the officers absentmindedly as they scrambled around the base, working on makeshift control panels.

  
He supposed they were making preparations to rebuild the fleet. It would take weeks, at the very least, to restore the First Order back to its rightful glory.

  
Repairs were the least of his concerns. What worried him more were Hux’s next steps. Let the ambitious General take too many, and he could find one of his silver knives in his back.

  
Thankfully, he had another plan. If Hux wanted to advance, he would certainly allow him to do so. Kylo would aid him forward, let him believe he was close to victory, and enjoy watching his downfall.

  
Just as Kylo was thinking this, he spotted a certain coat-wearing figure with a shock of red hair, crossing the plains determinedly. He was clutching that ginger monster and seemed to be mentally occupied with something.

  
_What are you up to, you spiteful starkiller?_ Kylo ground his teeth. The very sight of the man disgusted him.

  
He closed his eyes and reached out into Hux’s mind. He wasn’t surprised to find resistance—of course: now that he’d exposed himself, he would be taking extra precautions to keep his mind sacred.

  
Unfortunately for the General, Kylo was still the more powerful force user. He kicked the barrier aside and immediately felt Hux’s thoughts fill his mind.

  
_I wonder if the base still has fish available? I’m sorry Millie, I’m trying, don’t bite me—ouch._

  
Kylo let out a snicker despite himself, causing a few panicked looks sent his way. He glared until all eyes were back on their workstations. He delved into Hux’s mind once more.

  
... _Speeder. Need to find one. Didn’t Phasma mention that there were some on the_ Harbinger _? I should check if they still work._

  
Now that was interesting. The Order had a small fleet of transport speeders and bikes, piloted only by specially trained troopers.

  
Unless Hux wanted to get far away while on the planet they were all stranded on, he didn’t have any reason to want to use one.

  
_Supreme Leader, with all due respect, please stop reading my mind_.

  
Kylo started. Before now, the General never realised when he took a look into his mind. He withdrew quickly and looked up at Hux.

  
He was at the entrance of the base now. He glared in the direction of the Supreme Leader.

  
Hux had sensed Kylo prodding into his mind, without knowing how he did it. Perhaps he had worked with the man long enough to be able to predict his actions.

  
It was yet another riddle on the list of things he had to figure out.

  
He planned to seek out a speeder he could use to travel to the far end of Crait, where no one would disturb him. There, he would be able to find some much-needed sanity.

  
He didn’t know how big the planet was, or how long it would take to reach it’s polar end. But something told him he would find the answers he sought there.

  
Finding a TIE fighter wasn’t an option: they’d all been disabled, while the technicians made repairs.

  
Even if he managed to operate one, he’d get shot down before he could leave the planet’s atmosphere. He doubted that the Supreme Leader would hesitate when it came to such a golden opportunity to wash his hands of him.

  
Hux approached the entrance of the base, where some officers were gathered around a table. It relieved him to see that there was still sufficient food, and that they seemed to be eating well.

  
The officers stood at attention upon his arrival. The General nodded. He took a glance at the table and found what he was looking for.

  
“Is that Pillio snapper?”

  
The officer nearest to him looked up from his plate, surprised. “Yes, sir.” Millicent perked up, meowing her interest.

  
“Would, ah, Millicent like some?” The officer asked. Hux smiled, bringing out a frightened look from the man. “She would.”

 

Later, a well-fed Hux and Millicent boarded a transport speeder. It hadn’t taken much searching. They were sitting abandoned in the hangar of a star destroyer, the _Harbinger_.

  
The previous driver’s key was left in the ignition, the evidence of a quick getaway. He turned it once and was pleased to hear it rumble to life.

  
A glossy black helmet was also left on the seat. He replaced his cap with it. Hux was sure it was going to be a windy journey, one the short visor on the front of the speeder would do nothing to protect against.

 

The engines roared as it warmed in the cold. “Let’s go, Millie,” He told the ginger tabby. She ignored him and curled up in the passenger’s seat, blinking tiredly.

  
Hux allowed himself to scratch the cat behind her ears once more before taking hold of the steering wheel.

 

The speeder didn’t disappoint. The sudden motion pushed him backwards as he kicked off. It thundered down the path, cutting blood-red streaks in the ground.

  
The plains of Crait stretched as far as he could see. From his left, the black sky was already blending into a deep purple, indicating a new day. The star destroyers parked around him loomed overhead, casting sinister shadows as he passed.

  
Millicent seemed unconcerned about all of this. She kept low in the passenger seat, her size allowing her to be shielded by the visor. She closed her eyes and dozed off, letting her owner do the work.

  
Hux glanced over at the cat and cracked a weak smile.

  
Perhaps he would be able to get some rest when they reached their destination. For now, it was the work of pure adrenaline keeping him awake. He didn’t remember the last time he had a cup of tea. Or a good night’s sleep, for that matter.

  
Hux tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and the speeder surged forward.

  
_All will be resolved soon_.

 

 


	3. III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy :)

General Hux had lost track of how long they were travelling for.

  
His fingers had grown numb from the wind. The helmet barely shielded his eyes from the biting cold, and it left his lips exposed to gulp down mouthfuls of salty air.

  
Day broke slowly on Crait, as Hux had come to find out. A breathtaking twist of lilac and azure filled the sky, but the orange glow of the planet’s sun was nowhere to be seen.

  
This increased difficulty when it came to navigation, but Hux hazarded a guess that he was travelling East. Years of navigation on ships had taught him to recognise where he needed to go almost instinctively. The compass attached to the front of the speeder was of no use: its settings were unconfigured to the planet.

  
Plus, there wasn’t much on the planet to navigate through. Crait was uninhabited for a reason, home only to the peculiar fox-like creatures.

  
He was becoming tired of holding onto the steering wheel. Unfortunately, the auto-pilot had been disabled by the previous driver. He looked over at Millicent enviously. The ginger tabby had curled up underneath Hux’s hat and was in a deep sleep.

  
During this journey, Hux couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander. Perhaps it was another side effect of sleep-deprivation, but he was becoming sentimental. He didn’t like it.

  
Between the chaos on the Supremacy and the battle on Crait, Hux barely had time to consider the fate of the First Order in Ren’s hands.

Supreme Leader Snoke was gone. Hux didn’t believe for one moment that the scavenger girl killed him.

  
He couldn’t deny that she was powerful, but it would take someone with a more complex motive to kill Snoke. He knew of one. One other who had been in the throne room at that time.

  
As far as he knew, the master-apprentice relationship that existed between Snoke and Ren had always been relatively smooth sailing. He supposed there were times when Ren was frustrated with Snoke’s decisions, but Hux never expected he would go as far as to assassinate him.

  
Hux gritted his teeth. That was another thing he hated about Ren. He was an impulsive, tantrum-throwing man-child, who never worried about the consequences of his actions.

  
And now the First Order was in his hands.

  
The New Republic was decimated beyond revival, the last great act of Starkiller Base. The Resistance would surely find a way to rebuild: they were not without friends in the galaxy. General Organa’s name alone was a beacon of hope the Order failed to eradicate during their most recent battle.

  
And the girl, Rey. She was dangerous. He didn’t have to witness the events that played out in the throne room to realise that it was her who was responsible for Ren’s act of insanity.

  
As much as he loathed Ren, losing him to the light was something he could not allow.

  
If Hux had his way, if he were the Supreme Leader—he let a smile push past his lips at the thought—things would fall into place. Ren would remain a commander. He would ensure the thorough destruction of the Resistance. The First Order would be the conqueror of all systems, bringing order to the galaxy at last.

  
One could dream.

  
A structure of some sort made an appearance in the horizon. It grew bigger with every second. Hux squinted. He could see the skeleton of a plane taking shape.

  
Crait, after all, used to be a Rebel base. There would have been battles waged on these desolate lands.

  
Hux slowed down. He identified the plane: an X-wing. It was a rotting carcass, hardly worth it’s name.

  
Without a comprehensive knowledge of aircraft, one would be unable to tell it apart in a pile of rubble. Only its body remained whole, it’s rusted surface freckled with salt crystals. Frames were all of what was left of the plane’s wings.

  
In short, it looked pathetic.

  
Only a few metres away from the plane now, Hux ground the speeder to a halt. He lurched forward, narrowly missing the steering wheel with his jaw. He stole a glance at Millicent and was glad to see that she had not witnessed this embarrassing incident.

  
He stepped out of the speeder shakily, his legs unused to the soft crystal floor that juxtaposed with the speeder’s. The ground surrounding him was almost crystalline. He was perhaps the first person to walk this area in years.

  
Hux discarded the helmet back onto the driver’s seat and carefully arranged his hair into order.

  
There was something that drew him to the X-wing. He needed to investigate it. He hunched his shoulders and drew his coat closer to him. With a final glance at Millicent, he moved towards the plane.

  
The carcass of the plane radiated a hostile energy. It reminded Hux of the stories he’d heard as a child, where destruction awaited at the end of every one.

  
A chill that had nothing to do with the wind ran down Hux’s spine.

  
He was by the cockpit now. He caught a glimpse of a Rebel pilot’s helmet in the pilot seat. He avoided further analysis of the cockpit from there and moved his gaze towards the nose of the plane.

  
It’s orange-and-white coat of paint had long been scratched off. It had been replaced with large chunks of sodium that preserved the plane in it’s dilapidated state.

  
He stretched out a hand and ran a finger down it’s side.  
The crystals crumbled easily under his touch.

  
And something else…

_  
Rhea hasn’t said a single word in days, not since I told her about my plans. If there are any words left unsaid between us, she hasn’t taken our final moments together to tell me any of them._

_  
When I stand to leave, she surprises me._

_  
“Syrin, you don’t have to do this.” She says quietly._

_  
My heart pounds with an unimaginable pain. I want to hold her, tell her everything will be fine. If we get the things we need to the base on the salt planet, I can return. We’ll raise our child, far from the mess that’s beginning to stir between Senator Organa’s rebellion and the Empire._

_  
I don’t, because I know it’s a lie. I’m standing at our doorstep now, holding onto my helmet. I’m in my uniform. Rhea has a hand resting protectively on her belly. Our unborn child._

_  
“I have to, Rhea,” I don’t meet her eyes. “They need me to protect the transport from Calderos. We can change things. We can restore the Republic.”_

_  
The words sound like propaganda on my lips. I don’t blame her for the look of disgust that forms on her face._

_  
“By going on a suicide mission, Syrin?” She demands._

_  
“I—”_

_  
“Astura, it’s time to go!”_

_  
I turn to my squadmate and raise a hand in acknowledgement. I turn back to Rhea. Her lips form a twisted smile and she throws her arms around me._

_  
I then realise the reason for her silence these past few days. She doesn’t need to say anything. She knows as well as I do that this moment now, will be our final one together._

_  
In a less cruel galaxy, I would have been able to see our child grow up. He would be safe. He wouldn’t grow up knowing the sound, the feel of war._

_  
I hear my squadmate calling me again. It’s time to get going. Rhea lets go of me. Her gaze is burning; it is this vision that will haunt me in my final moments._

_  
“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I’m so sorry.”_

  
Hux fell backwards, landing hard on the ground. He was breathing hard. He scrambled backwards, desperate to get away from the X-wing.

  
Hux struggled to regain his bearings. He was thankful for the solitude. He knew he looked like a madman at that moment, with his hair unkempt and the fact that he was kneeling in the salt. All because of a stupid vision.

  
This was not the answer he was looking for.

  
Was this the work of the Force?

  
If it was, why was it showing him this?

  
He didn’t recognise the people in the vision: they lived years before his time, during the early days of the Rebellion. Hux was sure the man in the vision was the dead pilot in the cockpit.

  
Was the Force mocking him?

  
The man, Syrin, left a family he could have had. He left it all behind, for a cause that cared little for him.

  
Hux was an illegitimate child. He wasn’t ashamed about it now, but that meant the privilege of family had already been taken away from him since birth. The thought that a man could be so selfish as to give away the opportunity so generously given to him, was incomprehensible.

  
“So foolish,” he spat. He glowered at the helmet in the cockpit.

  
The helmet crumpled like paper before his very eyes. The sickening crunch of bones breaking filled the air.

  
Hux looked down and saw that his hands were clenched into fists, digging into the salt.

  
He was sure this time that it wasn’t Ren.

  
But that meant—

  
“No.” Hux said quietly. He stared at his fingers, self-loathing and disgust filling him.

  
He couldn’t be like Ren—he refused. He’d spent almost all of his life detesting force users and staying away from them.

  
“No,” he repeated.

  
Blood was thundering in his ears. His heart was beating an unnaturally violent tattoo in his chest. He stumbled to his feet and backed away. The X-wing began to blur. The floor began to tremble, or maybe it was just him.

  
Salt began to stir around his boots. It churned faster and faster, gathering a cloud of red and white around his legs. No. No. No.

  
Something was in his right hand now. It was cold and weighted. He lifted it and saw that he was holding his blaster. How peculiar.

  
For the slightest moment, Hux considered doing something terrible. He never knew it would come to this: Him deciding his own fate, alone, on an unfamiliar planet. Millicent wouldn’t be a witness, she was still asleep in the speeder.

  
He closed his eyes.

  
“Breathe, Armitage.”

  
Hux turned violently, hands going to his trigger, ready to fire. But there was no one in sight, only miles and miles of crystalline salt plains.

  
This was it. He was truly going insane. No one ever called him by his first name.

  
He turned back to face the X-wing, but it was gone. Instead, he saw a child, a boy with a shock of red hair and a loosely fitted uniform. He ran by Hux, who watched his progress.

  
_“Mommy?”_

_  
A boy wandered into the kitchen. He stood out like a sore thumb in his academy uniform, amongst the men and women who were dressed in simple work clothing._

_  
The kitchen workers muttered and pointed, but none of them dared to touch Commandant Brendol Hux’s child. He ran along the counters, narrowly missing workers carrying pots of food and drink._

_  
The boy wasn’t simply there to make a mess. He was looking for someone, although that seemed both ridiculous and improbable. Academy children had nothing to do with lowly kitchen workers._

_  
“Mommy!”_

_  
A woman at the end of the kitchen looked up from her job of kneading dough. Her pale, freckled face reddened at the sight of the boy running towards her._

_  
“What are you doing here, Armie?” She whispered as the boy jumped into her arms, sending the rolling pin clattering to the ground and drawing even more attention. The whispers grew louder._

_  
“Daddy was being mean to me,” Armitage whined. His lip trembled and his bright eyes shone as he looked up at her. The woman’s heart broke to see that one of his cheeks were redder than the other._

_  
“Does Daddy know you’re here?” She asked quietly. Her rough hands went to his hair, smoothing it down tenderly._

_  
“No, he’s in a meeting.” He said. “Daddy says we have to leave soon.”_

_  
The woman felt her heart drop. “Leave where, baby? Arkanis?”_

_  
Armitage nodded. “You will be coming with us, right?”_

_  
She bit her lip. There had been rumours flying about the kitchen for days now. The New Republic was planning to besiege the planet. It would soon become no place for the remnants of the Empire._

_  
“I don’t know, Armie.” She figured it would be better to tell the boy the truth. He seemed unfazed. On the contrary, his eyes lit up with a fire she had never seen before._

_  
“Don’t worry, Mommy!” Armitage straightened and puffed his chest out proudly. “When I become ruler of the galaxy, you won’t have to work anymore. I’ll give you a planet and make Daddy do it!”_

_  
The woman smiled sadly at the child. The dreams of children were so pure, so beautiful. If only they came true._

_  
She pulled him close once more and placed a kiss on his forehead, so he wouldn’t see the tears that escaped her eyes._

_  
“It’s time to return to your father, darling.” She said._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was fun to write!! i had like 16 tabs open for research but it was worth it. i have my chinese national exams tomorrow, wish me luck!


	4. IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi, before the chapter begins, i’d like to share with you a folder i created to accompany this book! i wouldn’t call myself an artist, but sketching down ideas really help me visualise what I want to write. 
> 
> you can view the folder here:  
> https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/0cb0cbb2-f962-4ff3-6700-24bff639364c
> 
> i update pretty often :)

Rey woke with a start, disoriented. Everything around her was dark. She wondered why the floor beneath her was shaking: It wasn’t like that on Ahch-To.  

 

Then she remembered that she was no longer on the island. Things seemed to happen so quickly. First, she left Luke to find Ben. Next, she was on the Supremacy, persuading him to return with her, to make things right.

 

And now, it was just her and a handful of others on the _Millennium Falcon_ , having just made a quick getaway from Crait.

 

It came back to her now. Finn had encouraged her to take a rest while the others navigated the ship to safety. She had relented, letting him put his arms around her shoulders and guide her to a futon.

 

Rey sat up. The blanket she was using slid off. Her thoughts went to Ben Solo, and she felt pain blossom in her chest at once.

 

She was so close back there. Rey had truly felt the good in him and refused to believe she was wrong.

 

If she had done things differently, would he have been on the ship with them now? Would he have been happy about it?

 

Rey wasn’t about to give up. She was used to waiting. And wait she would, until Ben’s and her paths crossed again. But for now, it was perhaps best to take a loss. The Resistance had been reduced to one ship. None of their allies were responding. It would take time to rebuild again, but it was possible.

 

Something pulsed in the back of her mind. Rey then remembered why she woke up in the first place. There had been a disturbance in the Force.

 

No, “disturbance” was too weak a word. This was a tremor, an eruption.

 

It could not have been Ben. For now, she had broken off any ties that bound the two of them together. Additionally, his Force signature was different from the one that was currently pulsing through the galaxy in violent waves.

 

This one was...pure fear. Great fear and distress. Rey frowned.

 

There were Force-sensitive people scattered throughout the galaxy. Normally, she felt none of them, whether they died, or if there was a new awakening. She simply hadn’t quietened her mind enough to sense them.

 

Luke’s passing was a special case. His death was a great loss to the universe, and the Force itself wept for him. But like the things Rey had lost, he would be back for sure.

 

This energy that she was feeling now wasn’t of the light. This was no Jedi, but neither was it a Sith’s. It was dark, similar to Kylo Ren’s. But it came with an obvious confusion, and a lack of control.

 

Rey closed her eyes, and reached out like Luke had taught her to.

 

The universe was buzzing, alight with the Force. Several voices stood out among the noise. She felt Leia’s, a focused and gentle energy. She was discussing plans with Lieutenant Connix in the communal space of the Falcon.

 

Rey couldn’t feel Ben’s: she had cut him off. Besides, he was too far away. She reached further out and focused. The strange energy was coming from the planet they’d left not too long ago, Crait.

 

That was weird. She didn’t know of any other Force-sensitives in the First Order. It would be impossible. Snoke wouldn’t have allowed it.

 

 _Snoke._ Rey felt as though an ice chip had slid into her stomach. She shuddered involuntarily as she remembered the throne room. He had invaded into her mind, seen every crevice of it. The memory made her sick at once.

 

Rey stood up, too awake to lie back down. What if they had not managed to kill him, after all? What if he was on Crait, biding his time to strike the Resistance down once and for all?

 

She gathered her things and headed towards the communal space. She needed to find Leia.

 

Leia was guiding Lieutenant Connix as she sent transmissions to their allies through the subspace radio. There had only been silence so far.

 

Leia wondered if the galaxy had truly lost it’s hope. It wasn’t inexperienced when it came to fighting evil. Years ago, it had been the Sith. Then the Galactic Empire. And now, the First Order.

 

So why had it chosen to give up now?

 

Connix seemed to be aware of what she was thinking. She looked up at the General, giving her a grim smile.

 

“Someone will answer our call soon, General,” She said. The young lieutenant’s feet tapped nervously as she watched yet another transmission get delivered to silence.

 

Leia opened her mouth to agree, to tell her that they shouldn’t lose hope. But she felt a sudden wave of energy wash over her. This unexpected entity caught her off-guard with it’s violence. Leia frowned. Who was it coming from?

 

“General?”

 

Leia turned and saw Rey standing at the doorway with a hand on the wall. The poor girl looked so tired. She had seen and been put through so much these past few days.

 

“Rey,” Leia said, startled. Her mind was still troubled by the disturbance she had just encountered. She wondered if Rey had felt it as well.

 

She approached the General. Upon closer analysis, she could see that something was disturbing her. It shone the most prominently in her eyes.

 

“General, I feel a strong disturbance in the Force,” Rey said.

 

“I do as well,” Leia said, relieved she wasn’t alone. She was right after all. She guided the girl to take a seat with her. “Who do you think it could be?”

 

Rey bit her lip. “General–”

 

“Leia.”

 

“Oh,” She said, a nervous smile appearing on her face. “Leia, I sense it coming from Crait. Do you think it could be Snoke? Could he still be alive?”

 

Leia could see the fear reflected in the girl’s eyes. She had no idea what had happened in the exchange between them in the throne room, but she could tell that it wasn’t anything pleasant.

 

“You mentioned that Ben killed him,” Leia said. The thought of her son brought her sorrow. But she believed he would one day return to her. And the girl sitting next to her would be the one to do it.

 

“He ignited Luke’s lightsaber straight into him,” Rey recalled. Her eyes darted to the broken pieces that sat on the dejarik table.

 

Leia listened as Rey recounted, in full detail, the events that played out on the Supremacy. Before, she had always known that Rey was resilient and determined.

 

But now, hearing what Snoke and Ben had done to her, she believed that Rey was perhaps the strongest person she had met in years.

 

It was unfair really, for Rey to have to go from being a scavenger on Jakku, to being thrown into the galaxy’s biggest war. But it was the will of the Force. Her presence in this story was meant to be.

 

She placed a hand over hers. Rey looked up at her, her eyes overbright.

 

“Leia, I believe in Ben. He’s going to return.”

 

Leia smiled at Rey. Her eyes were filled with determination. She suddenly regretted the words she had said to Luke. Why had she, the mother of Ben Solo, accepted the fact that her son was lost? This was no different from the fight they were waging against the First Order.

 

Rey didn’t know Ben. The first time they’d met, he tortured her. On the second, they had battled on Starkiller Base. She didn’t know what drove Rey to seek out Ben on the Supremacy on their third, but she had a sneaking suspicion that the Force had something to do with it.

 

So why did she have more faith in the boy than her?

 

“I promise I’ll find a way to bring him home,” Rey said.

 

                            #

 

General Hux sat quietly in the speeder. Millicent was awake and on his lap, rumbling quietly as her owner stroked her fur distractedly.

 

How does one react when their life changes drastically?

 

He had almost been prepared to let his past go. And now, all that occupied his mind was of his younger days on Arkanis.

 

He remembered that day. It was the last time Hux had seen his mother, his real mother, before someone snitched and told his father, Commandant Brendol Hux.

 

Brendol’s fury was a terrible thing to behold, especially for a small child of five.

 

His memory was surprisingly vivid once the event came back to him. He remembered his jaw making impact with a cold, solid floor. Laying there, he saw his father’s shadow loom over him. He closed his eyes and braced for impact.

 

It never came. Just then, Maratelle entered the room. Maratelle was Brendol’s wife. To her, the boy was simply extra baggage. He was a living reminder of her husband’s unfaithfulness. She paid no attention to the child lying on the ground. She beckoned to the older Hux and murmured something.

 

“Let’s go.” Through the hazy vision, Hux could see his shadow retreating.

 

He had laid there for a considerable amount of time, too pained to move, feeling his own blood warm the ground. His ribs ached sharply from the contact with his father’s boots.

 

But the thing he remembered most vividly, were the words he’d uttered just before Maratelle arrived.

 

_“Pathetic.”_

 

The adult Hux hissed. Millicent looked up at him from grooming, startled. He slammed his fist on the steering wheel angrily and watched it shake from the impact.

 

If he had the ability to manipulate the Force to his will back then, the name Brendol Hux would surely have been wiped away sooner. Hux would have made it hurt in the process, even more than any shiny beetle would.

 

 _But you’ve always had that ability,_ A small voice at the back of his head whispered.

 

Did he? The Force did not come to his aid when he was being thrown about by Brendol. Neither did it when he was trying to save his mother off Arkanis.

 

But somehow, it made sense. If he were blind to it before, he wouldn’t have known how to use it to his advantage.

 

Perhaps it was there during his childhood to teach him how to survive, to hide from Brendol. To seek out his mother without being caught. It had perhaps whispered suggestions in his unhearing ear, kept his fleet safe, while he was commanding the Finalizer.

 

The speeder was suddenly lit up with a golden glow. Hux glanced up. Day had finally broken on Crait.

 

Before his very eyes, the planet’s sun emerged from the horizon. The lilac and azure sky dissolved into hues of pale gold and turquoise.

 

This spectacle reminded Hux of Starkiller Base. Except that the two were completely different in nature. The Hosnian Cataclysm signalled the start of a new era, through war and a display of the First Order’s capabilities.

 

This was peace, unconditional peace. Regardless of the battles that had been waged on Crait, the sun would continue to rise, and would proceed to set when the day was over.

 

In the First Order, there was no time for such sitting and gazing, like Hux was currently doing. He was surprised by how much he enjoyed it. On the Finalizer, he felt constant pressure from both his bridge crew and Snoke to succeed.

 

There were days where Hux found himself dozing off on his desk, with a data pad still clutched in his hand. He had already done so much, but there was still so much more to be done before the Order would finally set the galaxy right.

 

Hux looked down at Millicent. She gazed curiously up at him. He smiled at her. His fingers were twitching, itching to try something out.

 

He lifted his hand off the steering wheel and raised his arm into the air.

 

Millicent was pulled upwards at once, as though by an invisible hand. She yowled in alarm. She hovered in the air, suspended a few inches above his lap.

 

Hux couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of his cat. He lowered Millicent carefully into the passenger’s seat and she bolted under the storage compartment at once. Emerald eyes filled with suspicion stared at him from the dark.

 

Hux looked back at his hand again, seeing it differently. He felt...powerful. Like he had the potential to do so much more. Was this what Ren had been enjoying all this while? It seemed like a rather unfair advantage over the rest of them.

 

He felt rather smug as he thought about the Supreme Leader. Finally, he could show the man-child that he was not to be taken lightly. Ren most likely assumed that he was dispensable; he would now be able to prove otherwise.

 

Hux had been plotting, for months now, to get rid of Kylo and Snoke. It was his destiny, he believed, to rule the galaxy. Ren and the girl had already done half of his job for him. It would be easy to sneak up on him while he was resting, and end it all with a blaster.

 

Today’s events changed his heart to some extent.

 

Hux continued to watch the colours dance across the sky. He decided, then and there, that he would in fact be willing to work with the man. But only if Ren would give him the position he desired.

 

Before he took over, Snoke had always refused to promote him to Grand Marshal. Hux never questioned this decision, but that didn’t stop him from feeling rather sullen about it.

 

He cast a final look at the sunrise unfolding in front of him as he started the engine once more.

 

It was time to return to the First Order.


	5. V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> art companion folder: https://adobe.ly/2Jf7BcU  
> ^ orient in landscape view

Kylo sat in silence in the _Upsilon-class_ command shuttle. It was a crude place to seek privacy, but there was currently no place that reflected better on the Supreme Leader.

  
_Supreme Leader._ He tasted the words on his tongue and found it to be rather alien.

  
A medic droid was tending to his injuries again. His arm prickled painfully as bandages were applied, with more force than necessary, onto his forearm.

  
Adrenaline had kept his form stable for several minutes after the encounter with Skywalker. Exhaustion and fatigue eventually set in afterwards, when it had all died down. His lightsaber-wielding arm was throbbing dully. His back was screaming.

  
Kylo hissed as the droid poked something foreign into his skin. He looked down and saw that it had pierced a needle into his arm. It beeped with a cruel indifference as it drew a blood sample.

  
“Did General Hux send you?” He asked the medic droid, feeling rather peeved. It ignored him.

  
Kylo found himself thinking about the angry ginger’s whereabouts. He had seen him last heading in the direction of the Harbinger, looking for a speeder, right after requesting Kylo to stop reading his thoughts. He supposed Hux had gotten what he needed and set off.

  
Perfect. He wouldn’t have to see him for another few hours at least. That was, if Hux was ever coming back.

  
He wondered where Rey could be as well. She had left him, right when he needed her by his side the most. She had cut him off and flew off in his fath–Han Solo’s, ship.

  
He didn’t understand what he’d done wrong. He offered her the galaxy. He offered her peace. Wasn’t that what she wanted?

  
“Rey,” Kylo said aloud into the galaxy. He prayed that his words, his pain, would find their way to her. If the Force was merciful, they would. No ties, broken or not, would prevent that.

  
Kylo waved the medic droid away. It beeped insolently and flashed a red light at him before moving off to a corner. He made a mental note to get the droid scheduled for reprogramming. It wasn’t his job; he would ask one of the technicians to do it.

  
He drew his legs close to him and crossed them, a reflection of his days in the temple. He closed his eyes and reached out into the cosmos.

  
Kylo could tell at once that something was amiss. The universe was buzzing, sending powerful waves that nearly knocked him off-balance.

  
There had been a new awakening.

  
After the Empire’s attempt to eradicate all of the Jedi from the galaxy, they had risen to become legends, gods. Kylo knew, perhaps more than anyone else, that they deserved anything but such titles.

  
Part of the First Order’s agenda, created by Snoke himself, was to ensure the full extinction of the Jedi in the galaxy. They had very nearly succeeded, too. But all of that had happened before Rey showed up.

  
It occured to Kylo that their conquest might have gone to waste. The Force found its way in the end. Rey’s gift shone through the universe, a blinding light even he couldn’t ignore. There was Leia, his mother, right next to hers. A gentle glow, filled with warmth but also pulsed with a tense fortitude.

  
But neither was compared to the one responsible for the awakening. Kylo felt it crackling through the material of space, an unstable energy. It was in rather close proximity, too.

  
_What in—?_ His eyes flew open.

  
He could think of no one else. Although it seemed most improbable, this...thing, was coming from Hux. _The_ General Hux.

  
Kylo had assumed before that the General had accidentally let his powers be revealed to him. That he was somehow Snoke’s second apprentice. The new awakening would be someone else, a child perhaps.

  
But he was wrong. It was Hux. And from what he could tell, he was only just getting started.

  
If he hadn’t let go of his anger, would he have revealed himself otherwise? Would he have kept it hidden then, and find a way to rid of him in time?

  
_Damn him!_ Kylo snarled, bringing his fist down firmly on the dashboard. Pain crept up his already strained arm. The medic droid beeped smugly from its corner.

  
Kylo ignored the droid. He was thinking hard. He would have to implement his plan sooner than he expected. And perhaps prove to the General that he wasn’t simply a man hiding in Snoke’s shadow.

  
A faint rumbling noise came from the outside. Kylo looked up and saw a transport speeder in the distance. Its rider wore a helmet, but there was no mistaking the red hair underneath.

  
_General Hux._

  
Hux drove into the base quietly. A pair of foolish stormtroopers had attempted to stop him at the entrance, until he lifted his visor and glared pointedly into their expressionless helmets.

  
“Apologies, sir,” The one on the left had said, stepping back quickly. Hux hid his amusement behind his hand and drove past them.

  
He dreaded the amount of paperwork that would be waiting for him when he arrived. He could already predict the number of officers that would approach him when he entered, asking him to approve this, approve that.

  
He wasn’t the only General in the First Order, for kriff’s sake. They could go bother General Wallin: he was a bothersome brat who never did anything in his office. Unless he was dead, of course.

  
Hux drove off to the side of the base to attract less attention. The Harbinger was only a few hundred metres away. He decided he would park the speeder where he found it, and find a way to assimilate with the rest on the base, as though he had never left.

  
He was sure no one had spotted his departure. He had kept it as discreetly as possible, save for the fact that Ren was reading his thoughts just before he left. But he wasn’t worried about the Supreme Leader.

 

  
Later, the General walked away from the Harbinger as casually as he could, clutching Millicent in his arms. The cat was surprisingly cooperative, tucking her paws in and resting her head on his shoulder. Perhaps she cared about her owner’s presentation.

  
Officers passed them as he walked, offering brief greetings. They appeared busy and didn’t seem to notice that he was ever gone—excellent.

  
Hux began to drag his feet slightly. He then realised how incredibly fatigued he was feeling. His last rest had been in his office on the Supremacy. Was it two, three days ago? Yes, he remembered now. It was one of his desk naps. Captain Phasma had broken it by dialing in to report on the Resistance.

  
Maybe he could get the work out of his way as quickly as possible and find a place for him to rest.

  
Just as this plan formed in his mind, a strong feeling of unease overcame him. He shuddered, causing Millicent to look up at him in caution. What was it?

  
_Turn. NOW._

  
He looked behind him just in time to see Ren, standing outside his command shuttle, with a F-11D blaster rifle aimed at him.

  
And suddenly, a bolt was coming straight at his face.

  
Hux raised a hand instinctively. Time seemed to slow down. He could see the laser crackling, making a beeline towards him.

  
Hux didn’t know how he did it. But as he watched, the bolt slowed.

  
Then it _halted._

  
Instinct—or something more—guided him to stay out of the laser’s path. He dived down into the salt, letting go of Millicent. The ginger tabby hissed furiously and darted away.

  
Now free of captivity, the bolt soared over his head at lightspeed. He briefly heard it collide with the side of a destroyer before his vision went black.

 

When Hux finally came to, he was lying on something soft. He was staring at a high rocky ceiling, similar to a cave’s.

  
_Is this heaven?_ Hux thought idly. If it was, it certainly wasn’t what he was expecting. Perhaps he had arrived in Purgatory.

  
Hux took in his surroundings. He seemed to be in a temporary infirmary of some sort. Not Purgatory, then. The walls were tall white dividers. He could hear faint conversation coming from the other side.

  
So Hux was still alive.

  
Suddenly, he remembered why he was here in the first place. Ren, that psychopath, shot at him! Hux stood up in fury, hands going to his blaster. Blood rushed to his head and he was forced to sit back down again, cursing.

  
His sudden movement seemed to trigger the medic droid he just noticed drifting in the corner. It beeped out a series of sirens, sparking more pain in his temples.

  
A woman, presumably the medic, parted the dividers and entered the makeshift room. She bore a smile on her face which quickly faded as her eyes darted to the blaster in Hux’s hand.

  
“General? Is everything alright?” Hux hurried to hide it in his coat. “Yes. Splendid,” He said lamely.

  
The medic’s smile returned shakily to her face. Human medics were rare in the First Order. The Order simply preferred medic droids, which did similar work but required much less maintenance.

  
Even while on the Finalizer and the Supremacy, Hux rarely required medical attention. Sure, there was the occasional injury sustained, but it was normally nothing a little ice or bacta wipe couldn’t fix. In fact, this was the first time Hux found himself in the infirmary. He reddened as he imagined the events that played out after he lost consciousness.

  
The medic seemed to know what Hux was thinking.

  
“You collapsed out of nowhere,” She informed him, glancing at the datapad clutched in her hand. “Your vitals are normal. Have you been getting enough sleep?”

  
That was the thing officers didn’t appreciate about medics. Ranks mattered little in the infirmary. As far as the injured were concerned, medics were as good as the Supreme Leader when it came to authority.

  
Hux shook his head and muttered something about work. Her steely glare of disapproval made him feel like a child being caught in an act of mischief. He looked away.

  
“Sleep is very important, General,” she tutted. “You can’t keep taking caffeine—”

  
“I know, thank you,” Hux interjected. “May I leave now? I feel perfectly well-rested.”

  
He attempted to stand up again, but was stopped by the medic. For a petite woman, she had a considerable amount of strength.

  
“Excuse me—” Hux took a glance at her tag. “—Ms T’ani, I have to get going. Please, I have a lot to do.”

  
“Not until I’ve finished my report and given you one last checkup,” T’ani said firmly, wagging an obnoxious finger in his face. Hux entertained a brief fantasy in which he made a run for it, but he had a sneaking suspicion that one of the tools hanging from her belt was a taser.

  
He sat back down in surrender and waited wearily for the medic to continue. She cast him a smug look.

  
“Supreme Leader Kylo Ren informed me himself that you were walking in the direction of the base, when you fainted suddenly.”

  
_That isn’t true,_ Hux thought indignantly. In fact, there were many things wrong with the statement. He opened his mouth, ready to defend himself.

  
“He believed you suffered head trauma,” T’ani continued loudly, with a pointed look. Hux felt his right eyelid twitch. Ren was pretending to care now? When it was he who caused him to be in this predicament in the first place? _That snake._

  
“In fact,” T’ani added, a smile forming on her face. “He carried you in himself.”

  
“Pardon?” Hux spluttered. How absurd. The nerve of him!

  
“Does he think I’m the scavenger girl? Some sort of damsel in distress?” He snarled. His mind formed a vision of Ren carrying his limp body bridal-style into the base, past all of his officers. Hux had the sudden desire to remain in the room forever.

  
T’ani lifted a shoulder.

  
“No idea, Sir. But he did tell me to convey to you that he is requesting a meeting later in his shuttle.”

  
_He’s insane._ Did he plan to discuss his reasons for shooting him? _The only thing I’m discussing is a bullet in his head,_ He thought.

Hux rubbed his temples and reminded himself to breathe. “Thank you for letting me know, Ms T’ani.”

  
“Of course, Sir,” T’ani said brightly. “Now, on to the checkup. Your clothes, please, General.”

  
Hux suppressed a sigh.

 

Later, a slightly mortified Hux stepped out of the makeshift room, tugging at his cuffs self-consciously. He noticed at once that he was near the side of the base, where it was the most crowded.

  
Many of the officers seemed to be avoiding his gaze. Others wore a carefully expressionless mask as they nodded at him in greeting.

  
Conversation died around him as he walked—no doubt they were passing comments on him, on how their pathetic General had once again let their Supreme Leader throw him around.

  
Hux was terribly familiar with the rate at which information was disseminated in the First Order. Even officers who hadn’t witnessed the incident would have heard about it by now.

  
He told himself that the moisture in his eyes were simply his body’s natural response to Crait’s dry atmosphere. Hux quickened his pace.

  
He had a meeting with the Supreme Leader.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for your patience! i promise i’ll get to kylo and hux’s interaction in the next chapter :)


End file.
